UTAH SYMPHONY, Baiba Skride, violin, Thierry Fischer, conductor, Abravanel Hall, Feb. 8; second performance 8 p.m., Feb. 9, tickets at 801-355-2787, 888-451-2787 or www.utahsymphony.org.
I suspected from the opening piece, Elgar’s In the South, op. 50, that the Utah Symphony was going to have a good night. I wasn’t disappointed. The English composer’s romantic, 20-minute tone poem opened the concert with a grand statement and in the powerfully engaging performance that followed, Elgar’s carefully crafted phrases were presented with tremendous sensitivity to detail, astonishing technique, and radiant energy. Principal violist Brant Bayless deserves special credit for his sensitive reading of the delicate, exposed solo.
Stravinsky’s Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra came next, with Latvian violinist Baiba Skride handling the solo. Stravinsky was in his late 40s when he penned this concerto and was clearly at the height of his compositional powers. The work is deeply complex and intellectual. With an intensely contrapuntal texture and a neoclassical style, the music was vigorous and introspective. Stravinsky’s masterful grasp of pacing and trajectory ensured that the music never languished, and Skride’s 1734 Stradivarius violin sounded exquisite with the orchestra in Abravanel Hall. The soloist’s technique and command of the concerto, along with her intricate interactions with the orchestra led to an arresting manifestation of this four-movement masterpiece for the violin.
Mendelssohn’s 4th symphony, the Italian, closed the concert, and is the latest from this season’s complete Mendelssohn cycle. Mendelssohn’s music, while clearly romantic, is also well-served by composer’s judicious restraint. Never resorting to bombast, Mendelssohn’s approach to romanticism is more measured than most – yet his restraint never prevents the music from being intensely expressive. The orchestra’s superbly polished performance never faltered. Right from the work’s famous opening theme, I heard an incredibly articulate orchestral sound. Each section ably contributed to the nearly flawless communal sound, and the overall interpretation was once again confident, nuanced and meticulous.
Music director Thierry Fischer led the orchestra with a clear, confident command of each score, as well as with economical gestures. Now that the conductor and orchestra are in their third season together, they are starting to operate together at peak effectiveness. The evidence is right there in the sound. To this reviewer, the orchestra has never sounded so confident, so articulate and so precise.
Friday’s concert in Abravanel Hall was simply world class. Sincere thanks to Fischer, Skride and each and every musician in the orchestra for providing our community with such an outstanding concert.